The Five People You Meet in Heaven
by Pearl of the Dark Age
Summary: The title is selfexplanatory, so a summary is a little redundant. Just read if you are interested. Seto Kaiba is the main character. Who will Seto meet next? What decisions will he make now that some revelations have been made? Rated for theme.
1. The First Person

December 5, 2006

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh.

A/N: Inspired by the book of the same title. It's been in its brainchild stage for over a year, and since I've got writer's block on my other fic, "Egyptian Requiem," I just thought I'd try this one. Also, I introduce one new OC.

**The Five People You Meet in Heaven**

By _Pearl of the Dark Age_

The First Person

Mokuba took the tray of food, medicine, and tea from the servant. "I'll take this to Nii-sama myself," he said somberly. She nodded, bowed, and hurried away. Mokuba sighed and turned to face the large, double French doors that led into his elder brother's room. He tip-toed through as quietly as he could and set the tray beside Seto's bed. He gazed fondly at him, lying asleep peacefully.

Seto's face was paled with age. Wrinkles lined his forehead and creased at the corners of his eyes. His hair was as white as snow, but had not receded much to the envy of his peers. Last week had been his 80th birthday. The proud CEO had survived two stress-induced heart attacks and was finally succumbing to the enormous strain of running Kaiba Corp since the young age of 15.

To Mokuba, it felt like a lifetime ago. He himself was now a grandfather of seven beautiful grandchildren. His hair was cast-iron grey, and his face retained all its charm even with a few wrinkles. His beloved wife had passed away from breast cancer at the youthful age of 47. Mokuba never remarried, and he diligently remained a good father to his two children. He had walked his daughter down the aisle, toasted his son at his wedding, and cried when his first grandchild had been born. He had 75 years of happy memories. His legacy was his family. He did not start to feel old until his brother had become ill.

Mokuba observed his elder brother's lined face. He knew that death was inevitable, but he could not stop regretting on his brother's behalf. Seto had spent his long eighty years as a bachelor. His legacy was Kaiba Corp.

When Mokuba had moved out of the large mansion they had inherited from Gozoboro, he married his high school sweetheart at the very young age of 20. His brother had been very happy for him, but he then threw himself into his work. Seto had become even more of an obsessed workaholic than he had been. Mokuba continued to carry the torch of Vice President until his wife had fallen ill. Then, he had passed the torch onto his eldest son and devoted himself to his dying wife.

"Mokuba," Seto whispered, shaking his younger brother out of his reminiscence. Mokuba leaned in close to hear him better. Seto's eyes were half-closed, but they still retained the same fierce ice blue appearance. It was the only feature that looked untouched by time. His voice dry, feeble, and raspy, he continued, "Mokuba, I want my nephew to take my position. I think that…" He started coughing violently for a moment. After it subsided, he continued as if uninterrupted, "… it's time for me to finally retire." He smirked faintly at his own humor. He closed his eyes again, his breathing labored. Mokuba waited to see if he would wake up again. It did not seem as if he would, so he sat back into the armchair a meter away from the nightstand. He picked up the book he had been reading to occupy himself while waiting for the inevitable. He had long been past crying. He and his brother had talked about everything they could think of, and there was nothing left to say. A will had been written, and Seto had already given Mokuba the title deed to the house.

The younger Kaiba brother had spent his time wondering what words could be befitting of the last words his brother would ever hear. He beat his brain into a pulp, for he could not conceive anything that was remotely close to describing how much he loved his brother, how grateful he was for everything Seto had ever done for him, and how much he was going to miss him. Mokuba knew Seto was in pain. He suffered violent coughs and chills, no matter how many blankets were placed upon him. Every labored, rattling breath Mokuba feared would be the last. He could not let his brother go without those last words. They had to be perfect. It also seemed that Seto was too stubborn to die. He was in pain and continuously dosed with drugs, but he chose to suffer it rather than let himself go. There was a small part of Mokuba that wished his brother would stop being so stubborn. He wanted a peaceful end for Seto, even if it meant losing him.

Hours wiled away. Soft shadows transited the room, casting eerily abstract patterns that seemed to spell out mysterious secrets. The light dimmed as the sun neared the horizon, and Mokuba looked up to see if Seto had woken again. It was time for his medication again, and the younger Kaiba sat up with a grunt. He carefully marked his page, and softly placed the book on the nightstand. He gingerly sat on the edge of Seto's bed, tracing his fingers over the familiar face to wake him. Seto's eyes did not even flutter. Mokuba blinked. With hesitation, he checked his brother's pulse.

A single tear slid down to his chin and dropped onto his lap.

* * *

Seto awoke to find himself lying flat on his back. He sat up with care and realized his bones were not aching anymore from the arthritis. "I guess those pills do work," he mused aloud. It seeped into his senses that the bed beneath him felt strange, like damp grass. He blinked, and his vision sharpened into focus. He was sitting in the middle of a field of tall, swaying grass. It was extremely chilly and windy. He could see the green carpet stretch to the roots of a snow-capped mountain range. He was utterly confused and put a hand down to help himself stand up. He then noticed that his skin was young and smooth. 

Amazed, he checked the rest of his body to discover than he was his 16-year-old self, complete with the trademark white trench coat that had gotten destroyed in the third world war. How he had missed that coat! "I'm young again!" he cried happily, forgetting himself.

"Not exactly," a voice spoke behind him. He turned around to face a young woman who looked his own age, and a sharp gasp escaped him before he could restrain himself. He knew her face. He had congratulated the blushing bride at his brother's wedding. His sister-in-law smiled at him benignly. "I think you now know where you are, don't you?" she rhetorically stated.

"Mongolia?" Seto replied, not willing to believe that this is what Heaven looked like.

"No," she smiled. "You're at the threshold to Heaven. When we each arrive, we meet five people who have helped shape our lives on Earth. Each of us five chooses what the threshold will look like. I chose my homeland – Mongolia."

"I'm dead?" Seto ascertained. She nodded. "There goes the stock," Seto muttered. "I don't know-"

She interrupted him. "Don't worry about Mokuba. I've got someone keeping an eye on him for me." She winked at him. "It's time for us to talk, Nii-san."

"So, we also get to choose what age to be as well?" Seto inquired immediately. She nodded again. "And will I have to wait and be one of someone's five people, too?" She nodded again. He shook his head as if that would help him to better comprehend that he was no longer alive. "Why don't I feel dead?"

"That's why they call it the 'afterlife,'" she answered, a little amused at Seto's reluctance. She had expected this reaction from the stoic CEO. "Nii-san, everything will start to feel natural soon. You're body isn't corporeal; it's only your self that is keeping its image. This is how we manipulate our environment."

"Hayanari," Seto started, but she held up a hand to stop him.

"Call me by my Mongolian name, Solongo," she replied. "I always tried to get you to call me that, but you were such a tease."

The corners of Seto's mouth twitched as he forced himself not to smile. "What do you want to talk about, Nari-chan?"

Solongo glared at him endearingly. She smiled and sighed, giving up on her battle. "The five people you meet are people who have influenced your life, and whose life you have also influenced in turn. They will help explain how your life had transgressed, and how you came to be you. I'm your first person because I asked to be." Solongo indulged him with another warm smile; the sharp lines of her Mongolian features softened.

"You were the first person I could truly call my friend," Solongo elaborated. "I was friends with Mokuba, but our friendship was quite unstable in the beginning, if you remember."

"Yeah, wasn't he going out with someone else at the time?" Seto recalled.

Solongo nodded and continued. "You befriended me. It was a very unpredictable time in my life, where I felt everything was falling apart. You treated me like a younger sister, and I don't know what I would have done without you, Nii-san."

"Well, it was nice to have a younger sister around." He shrugged, nonchalant.

She waited for him to cave in and be more honest. She knew he did not have the same inhibitions as he did when he was flesh and blood. He would not be able to deny what was truly in his heart in the threshold.

He looked up from the ground to her beetle black eyes. "You were the first person besides Mokuba I could trust," he admitted. "I started to change after that. I became more trusting. You were the only person I called family that wasn't related to me by blood. In a way, you were my first true friend."

Solongo grinned. "We were quite the pair. I remember that you wanted me to take over Kaiba Corp with Mokuba should anything have happened to you. Sorry I couldn't be there for you."

"I'm sorry that I couldn't save you," Seto replied softly. "I had all the money a man could want or need, but I couldn't save you."

"I wasn't meant to be saved," she said sweetly. "You have saved another's life. You have saved countless lives, in fact - especially when you managed to cooperate with your life-long rival."

"Hmph," Seto snorted indifferently. "Yugi's not dead yet, as far as I know; so, it's not like I'm meeting him here, is it?" She shrugged. He smirked at her. "Don't play dumb; I know you better than that! You're not going to tell me, are you?"

"Why spoil the fun?" she responded slyly. "It's not often that I've got the upper hand on you." She turned her head suddenly, as if listening to something Seto could not hear. She closed her almond-shaped eyes and turned back to Seto. "It looks like it's time for you to meet your second person. Your meetings will be brief, but painless despite whom you shall meet."

"What a minute," Seto stalled. "Who is the second person? Will I see you again, Hayanari?"

"As soon as you learn how to call me by my birth name!" she retaliated. But she softened again, and smiled benignly. "See you later, Nii-san!"


	2. The Second Person

Okay, this update took way longer than I thought it would… Sorry. I had originally intended for this whole fic to be a one-shot, but it looks like it will be a little 'ficlet' with mini-chapters instead.

December 27, 2006

**The Five People You Meet in Heaven**

by _Pearl of the Dark Age_

The Second Person

Everything around him had illuminated to a blinding white light, and Seto began to wonder if he would go blind. Mokuba's late wife had disappeared in the brightness. Seto's eyes did not sting as he had expected. After a moment, the light faded, and his eyes adjusted. He was now in his office! He had not felt a change in his position or any sense of transportation. For someone who detested the supernatural, spent precious lifetime in denial, he grew accustomed to the ways that the afterlife operated rather quickly. He walked over to his desk, facing an empty chair. A quick survey of the desktop, he realized this was not the Kaiba Corp office when he was in charge. The voice that spoke behind him did not surprise him in the least.

"I've been waiting for you, Seto," a gruff male voice said. "I bet you did not expect to see me."

"I am more surprised that they let _you_ into Heaven," Seto remarked as he turned around to face Gozoboro, "than I am that you've been waiting for me."

The large mustache twitched slightly in irritation. "No, I'm not in yet… As you can see I've been waiting for you, and this place is outside of Heaven. I still have work to complete before they let me in there."

Suddenly, it occurred to Seto that his record was not so spotless, either. "Will I have to work off my debts?" he asked.

"Yeah," his adoptive father replied lazily. "But it won't take you as long." He smiled wryly and continued, "I have been perhaps the biggest influence on your life, which is why I'm here."

"You sure think highly of yourself," Seto interrupted. "'The biggest influence…' Hmph!"

"Without me, you would not have become the man you spent most of your life being," Gozoboro continued, ignoring Seto's sarcasm. "Without me, you would not have walked the path that shaped the majority of your time on Earth."

"I know that," Seto snapped. "Thank you very much! It's been a pleasure. Now, can we get on with this? Get to the point."

"Not only did I teach you all of your business principles and skills, I also helped to shape your personality by providing an example of who you _didn't_ want to be."

"And you're proud of that?" Seto inquired, feeling slightly wrong-footed.

"No, but that is why I'm here," he replied with an arched eyebrow. He stood there with the same solid posture and sharply dressed suit that characterized his everyday appearance without a trace of remorse. "If you want an apology for all that I've done for you, you won't be getting it."

Seto folded his arms impatiently, smirking. "You are never going to get in that way…"

Gozoboro shrugged indifferently. "Do you think you would have been just as successful in life without me?"

"Of course," Seto returned quickly.

"What is the meaning of 'success,' to you?"

"Wealth and power, naturally." Seto began to doubt his own, automated answer.

"That's what I taught you," Gozoboro stated. "You should realize by now that it isn't true."

"Have you realized it?" Seto snapped. "Who are you to lecture me on principles?"

"If you took material gain away from your life, what would you have left to call a 'success'?" Gozoboro inquired. He folded his arms while waiting for Seto to reply.

The latter CEO was stunned. He had to think for a minute, and then he realized what the former CEO meant. "Mokuba," he answered. "Mokuba is my success."

Gozoboro nodded. "You did well with your younger brother. You insured his survival, his happiness, and his future. Without you, he would not have been even more successful than you had been."

Seto started for a second as the feeling of truth slipped into his consciousness. "Mokuba's more successful than me?" He shook his head, not really understanding it. "But his wealth was from me."

"Again, we're not talking about wealth, are we?" Gozoboro replied. "Even I was more successful in this aspect than you."

"What!" Seto spat. "How can you say that?"

"I was married, in love, and I had a child," he answered calmly. "I didn't change into the heartless monster you knew until after my wife died. Then, my son had died not too long after."

"Am I supposed to feel sorry for you?" the brunette snarled. "I love Mokuba! Doesn't that count?"

"Well, yes… of course," Gozoboro returned slowly. "What I mean is that your life's _potential_ wasn't met. You had a potential to have love and happiness in your life that far exceeded your choices. You _failed_ by not meeting that potential. You did not live life to the fullest. You constrained your choices, limited your path to material gain, and ignored the true success in life."

Seto's head spun – both from trying to absorb all that he had been told and the fact that it was _this_ man who told it. "I don't understand what potential you speak of," he said carefully, even as the inner recesses of his soul stirred in protest. "I was successful! I still am!" His arms gestured wildly to his body and the room about him. "I don't know what you mean!"

"I know you loved your younger brother," Gozoboro reiterated, "and this does mean that you were successful in this respect. You were successful in the material aspect of life as well. However, you were not successful in curing your loneliness."

"What?" Seto asked, completely bewildered. "I was never…" His voice trailed off and died.

"Remember, you can't lie in this place," Gozoboro stated solemnly. "Perhaps you will understand more when you talk to the rest of the people who are waiting for you."


	3. The Third Person

You know it, I know it, and we've all been expecting it… Don't worry; I'll definitely surprise you with the fourth!

December 27, 2006

Oh... and if you are normally a fast reader, take this one a little slower. There is a lot said in a short amount of space. Just think as you read. Thanks!

**The Five People You Meet in Heaven**

by _Pearl of the Dark Age_

The Third Person

Again the blinding white light burned out his retinas painlessly._ It seems that pain can't be felt… wherever I am._ He still did not understand where _exactly_ he was, since he could not think in anything but three dimensions. He at least understood that the appearance of this place could be altered by will. He began to wonder if it were possible for him to alter it to his desires. Just as this thought had passed through, the light faded again to reveal an oasis surrounded by a vast sea of sand. _I'm in the middle of nowhere!_ He blinked in the bright sun, definitely feeling a sinking sense of grief. "Oh, this can't be good…" he muttered to himself.

"I take it you were expecting me," a familiar voice said behind him.

_And why are they always behind me?_ he wondered bitterly. He turned around to face the former pharaoh of Egypt and his lifelong rival, Atem. "You were actually the second person I expected after meeting Hayanari," Seto informed. "Sorry to disappoint you, but you won't be surprising me."

Atem shrugged. "Then I suppose you know what I'm going to tell you, huh?"

"Yeah, power of friendship and all that nonsense," Seto replied immediately. "No, wait… You also going to say something about how you influenced my life by being my rival, right?"

"You catch on quick," Atem said dryly. "Yes, I was the measuring stick by-"

"Ha ha ha ha!" Seto burst into laughter. "I'm a helluva lot taller than you are, your highness! Always have been!"

Atem's ruby eyes twitched in annoyance. He grounded his teeth and continued, "I didn't mean it literally, idiot!" Seto stopped laughing instantly and glared. "I meant that you always measured your abilities in comparison to mine! You always sought to defeat me in a duel to define your own self-worth."

"So, you're saying that I wasted my time?" Seto rhetorically asked.

"Well, you never got your victory, but does that mean your worth is inferior to mine?" Atem inquired, regaining his patience.

"Hmph!" was all that he received in reply.

_This conversation won't be going anywhere…_ Atem thought to himself. He could tell by experience that Seto understood, but was reluctant to voice it. He cleared his throat and elaborated anyways, "I did more than set a standard for you. I was the one who redirected you on the right path. When we first met, you were on the verge of evil-"

"Please don't be so dramatic," Seto complained.

"Do you remember the penalty game you played?" he asked pointedly. "If it weren't for that, you would never had found your heart again. You talked previously of your love for Mokuba, but even that would have been lost had you continued to live as you did. Once you pieced back together the puzzle of your heart, you were a good person again…" and he added under his breath, "… somewhat."

"And does this have something to do with the 'potential' _that_ man mentioned?" Seto queried, refusing to name him.

"Uh…" Atem's eyes shifted into space for a moment and then back onto the CEO. "Uh, not exactly, but you're getting warmer…" He grinned sheepishly for a second; then his face resumed its usual serious expression. "That does, however, lead me to my second point…"

"You aren't going to tell me what the 'potential' thing is all about, are you?"

"Well, part of it…" Atem explained. "Let me continue. You always derided friendship. To you having a friend meant that you became dependent upon another person, which in your mind was a form of weakness. In fact, you were weak because of this thinking. You couldn't be in a relationship – romantic or platonic – with another person for fear of dependence. You became weak that way."

Seto shook his head in disagreement. "I am not weak for being independent."

"Let me finish, smart ass," Atem snapped. "Because you could not conceive that in a true, loving relationship that you are independent of the person you're with while depending upon them."

"That's a contradiction," the brunette immediately stated.

"That's because you don't understand how it works," came the reply. "You never invested in any relationship other than the one with your brother and those for business aims. You are still 'you' in your relationship with your brother. You are still independent, but you depended upon Mokuba to be there. What would have become of you if something had happened to him?" Atem stopped to let this sink in, then continued, "Now do you understand?"

"He's my brother," Seto started, "I… I…" His hands fell to his side in amazement.

"It's funny that you can't escape Truth after death," Atem mused, more to himself than to anyone in particular. He addressed Seto directly, "Immature love says 'I love you because I need you.' Mature love says, 'I need you because I love you.' (a/n) You never grasped this concept. Whether it is friendship, brotherly love, or romantic love, you never grasped the Truth. Only now that you are dead do you understand. Unfortunately, this fate awaits many, many people…"

Seto's entire body began to shake. He could not speak in reply. He lost his usual, fortified composure and sank to his knees, uncontrollably. It was obvious to his company that he finally understood. Atem closed his eyes in compassion, waiting for Seto to recover. For a very long moment, the proud CEO could not speak. He knew the Truth now. He did not have to say so. His eyes widened as a thought occured to him. "Will I…" he began, swallowing several times before continuing, "will I spend the rest of eternity alone?"

Atem opened his eyes again, the crimson red irises locked onto Seto's deep blue ones. He answered firmly, "That's for you to decide. The choice is yours, Kaiba. You can still meet your potential."

* * *

Author's Note: Quoted from "The Art of Loving," by Erich Fromm. 

I think it is more than obvious just how much Atem _and _Yugi had shaped Seto's life. As I said somewhere earlier, Yugi isn't dead yet, and Atem has been for 3,000 years. Atem's appearance is that of the pharaoh, implied by the name use. I didn't go into the detail I could have, in spite of the fact that we all know how much Yami can ramble on sometimes. I wanted to be more concise, and I hope you don't feel short-changed.


	4. The Fourth Person

Okay, I started writing this chapter on December 29, 2006, got _very_ sidetracked, and finished today, January 8, 2007. I was encouraged to at least finish this chapter and start on the last one by a couple of very nice reviews. Thank you everyone, who has reviewed so far! Happy New Year to all, and I hope we all strive for our potentials this year and in the years to come!

**The Five People You Meet In Heaven**

by _Pearl of the Dark Age_

The Fourth Person

The bright light did not come again. Seto was enveloped by total darkness, and he began to wonder if something went wrong this time. Slowly, little bits of light twinkled their way down to him. He looked up and saw the night sky. It looked as if he were still on Earth. The same smell of the forsaken desert stung his nostrils, and as he looked around he saw that he had not left at all! _But… the oasis is gone… _he realized. Seto looked at the crumbling cliff of sandstone to his right and farther to his left another low range of cliffs. He was in a valley.

Seto spun around, expecting his fourth person, but there was no one there. On the ground was a trail of fresh footprints. The chilly wind was quickly eroding them away. He followed their traces for a hundred meters before the wind erased all signs of their existence. Something inside him deflated. The prints had led him around the corner of a bend, and there was no one there. He stood there, his feet sinking slightly in the sand, and suddenly feeling very old again. He shivered, his bones ached, and his joints burned.

Glancing down at his hands, he saw that the skin was thin, stretched, and crinkly again. He felt his face; it was no longer smooth. Something inside him could not hold onto his youthful image. The power to manipulate his self-image seemed to have weakened. Seto stared at the little eddies of sand swirling upon the surface of the ground without really seeing them. All comprehension seemed to have dimmed in his brain, just as a bright orange light illuminated on his left.

Slowly, with the hindered reaction of a confused senior citizen, he turned his head to gaze upon a campfire. There were two logs on either side, serving as benches. There was some food on a stick, cooked by the licking tongues of flame. An unopened bag of marshmallows sat alongside one end of a log. Seto bit his lips and curiously walked forward. Warmth drew him near, and he could care less about the food.

"What do you think you're doing, whippersnapper?" came a sharp voice behind him. Seto didn't turn around to face his fourth person. He sat down upon the log and waited for the owner of that voice to sit across from him.

Sugoroku Mutou, an archeologist in his prime, sat across from him, gleefully opening the bag of marshmallows and impaling one, fluffy, white treat upon a bamboo skewer. "This is the life," he said, bemused. "There is nothing better than being in the Valley of the Kings with some marshmallows!" He grinned across at the old CEO.

Seto studied the old man's face. The old man was in fact young again. His spiky hair was neatly tucked under a fedora, and his grey beard was as black as pupils. Seto said nothing. He knew that Sugoroku was the sort of man who would start talking without invitation. For a while, they both sat in silence, enjoying the fire – and Sugoroku his marshmallows.

"If you are confused, you don't look it," came the expected icebreaker. "I could tell you so many stories, young man, but you probably don't want to hear them all. However, there was this one occasion that must have been…"

Seto let the words wash over him. He was not listening out of boredom or disinterest, but out of tiredness. It was soothing to have company in the cold night, and he even accepted a slightly burnt marshmallow from Sugoroku, who had started on his tenth anecdote. Stars that had been rising when Seto first arrived now twinkled from the zenith. The howling winds at the mouth of the valley died away. Yugi's grandfather stopped suddenly and fixated the pensive old CEO with eyes like amethyst embers. "If you are this tired, boy, you won't be ready for the next adventure!"

"What adventure?" Seto finally found his voice as his interest peaked. "I thought you were going to tell me what sort of influence you had in my life."

The purple eyes bulged out slightly as the archeologist laughed. He laughed like it was the most hilarious thing he had ever heard. "You mean," he inquired, gasping between laughs, "that I actually… I actually have to _explain_ it to you?"

Seto suddenly found a reserve of energy, enough to be irritated. He settled for a cold glare as a reply.

"Hmm…" Sugoroku bemused. "Well, I suppose I could humor you, young man. You see… it was my Blue Eyes White Dragon that was the first domino to be knocked over, to sort-of speak. The first domino in a line of dominos, you see?"

"You're being redundant, old man," Seto snapped.

"Who's the old man here?" he replied, highly affronted. "You see, I'm young at heart, and you are not." He gave Seto a short nod in affirmation. "That's right! You are as old as you feel. You are feeling burdens and regrets now, aren't you? Regretting some of the choices you've made in the past now, huh? Well, whippersnapper, snap out of it!"

Seto sat back as if he had received a jolt. More energy seemed to be upwelling from the depths of his being. "You think it so easy? Just get over it? Do you even know what I regret? And what's this about a line of dominos?"

"What really set the ball in motion for you in building your identity in association with the Blue Eyes White Dragon was destroying mine. No one could possess anything that you identified yourself with. You could not _share_ the Blue Eyes, because to you it represented power. To me, it represented friendship… Something that even now you have a hard time understanding."

"I have a much better understanding now," Seto replied. All the bitterness left his voice, and he felt rejuvenated. He straightened his spine, feeling more and more energetic life within himself. "I may not have used my life on Earth to its full potential, but isn't there life after death? Earlier, you spoke of an adventure to come. I may not have a clue as to what is going to happen, but I know that if given the same choices I had before, I won't make the same mistakes again!" He clenched his fist in front of him enthusiastically. "Old man, I will meet my potential!"

Sugoroku smiled contentedly, like a teacher admiring a student. He gazed across at the young man who had destroyed his Blue Eyes, the young man who had seized control of a military company and turned it around to make toys for children. People all across the world had started settling their differences with Duel Monsters rather than with guns and violence. Crime rates went down, children became more active outdoors instead of watching TV, and people found new goals to strive for in life. _Who knew that such good things could be bestowed upon the world by the hands of one sour upstart?_ Sugoroku thought to himself.

"Well, young man," Sugoroku finally replied after a moment of heavy silence, "attitude is everything. And now you've found the key to unlock the door to your adventure. If you carry this attitude with you in the afterlife, you are going to find happiness that can only be described as heavenly."

"Quit playing around with words, Grandpa," Seto smirked. "I can do that just as easily." A rare, genuine smile spread across the brunette's young features. He stopped himself, and stared at the sand under his feet. He was quiet again, lost in thought. Then, he said as if to himself, "I only hope I can see him again."


	5. The Choice

January 13, 2007 – when I first started writing this chapter. It's now February 3, 2007, and I've been chewing over what I wanted to say during that time. My muses were coming and going, and I've finally settled on how I want to write this. So, it's not that I got writer's block for it (just everything else…), but that this fic – as short as it is – means a lot to me. I have a lot to say, and I wanted to say it right. So, I hope it shows.

Yes, this is NOT the last chapter!

**The Five People You Meet in Heaven**

by _Pearl of the Dark Age_

The Choice

No anger spewed out in blood-curdling screams. No passionate tears save one trickled down the fair face. Amelda stood there, quiet as a statue. He trembled from head to toe, but the expected tongue lashing never came. His wet, silver eyes pleaded with Seto Kaiba one last time. Ice-cold blue eyes remained resolute in answer. The redhead exhaled as if accepting the inevitable.

_He's taking this better than I thought_, Seto realized. _I wonder why he's so calm_. The CEO gave an almost inaudible, soft sigh, and stood up resignedly. "Please leave my office, Amelda. I am not going to tell you again. You will not contact me ever again unless you have a dire, real life emergency. Not… _this_. You can call me if you actually need help. When I had offered you help before, with Dartz, I didn't mean to give you the impression-"

"That you care?" Amelda finished for him.

"No, you _know_ what I mean," Seto replied softly. "Being a world famous duelist, president and CEO of an international company, a famous celebrity…"

"I get it!" Amelda interrupted, slamming his fist upon Seto's desk. "You don't want to damage your image."

"So, you understand how it would look? I can't do this, Amelda," Seto informed with a heavy tone. "I'm not ready."

"When will you be ready?" the pacifist inquired somberly.

"Never," Seto answered immediately. He hesitated, then elaborated, "Or rather I should say that I doubt if ever. Amelda… just forget about it."

"I can't!" Amelda cried. "I can't just forget!"

"Just do it," Seto said in a commanding tone.

Amelda gulped. "Are you sure? There is only one way that I can forget…"

"Just do it," the brunette repeated automatically. He observed Amelda's reaction. _He's so calm. Is he finally coming to his senses?_

Amelda hung his head. "Is that your final word?"

There was a brief pause, then, "Yes. That's my final word, Amelda. Farewell."

Silver eyes blinked. An expression of acceptance solidified his features. Amelda hung his head and cried.

o O o

Since he was unable to concentrate upon work by the time evening arrived, Seto decided to visit his younger brother and sister-in-law for dinner. He called them up, announcing his impending arrival; Solongo cheerfully replied that she would save him a plate, and Seto felt somewhat better.

All afternoon he had been wondering if he had made a mistake. The redhead meant a lot to him – much more than he cared to admit. Perhaps that had been the reason that he did not respond to Amelda in their duels the way he did to Yugi or Jonouchi. He did not fully understand the reason. He just knew that when he met him for the first time, he could see himself. Moreover, he could see who he could have become…

The dinner lifted Seto's spirits even further. He spent most of his time playing with his little niece and teasing Solongo of the soon expected nephew.

"I feel like I'm ready to burst!" she exclaimed while rubbing her swollen belly. She poked her brother-in-law in the shoulder. "Nii-san, I mean it! If you don't start calling me Solongo I won't let you hold the baby when he's born!"

"Ever?" Seto queried in disbelief.

"Ever."

"Dear, that's harsh," Mokuba interjected.

"Okay, a month then…" she muttered. "I mean it, Nii-san!" She poked him again.

Seto smirked. "Whatever you say, Nari-chan."

"Let's watch some TV," Mokuba suggested after a quick glance at his wife, who looked ready to explode.

"Oh, good!" Solongo agreed happily, completely distracted from her previous temper. "I want to hear more about the earthquake!"

They all moved to the television room, arranged themselves comfortably on the couch, and Mokuba's daughter soon fell asleep on Seto's lap. The CEO smiled at his brother and family. "This is the way a family should be," he stated.

"What?" Mokuba murmured, distracted by the TV.

"Never mind," Seto answered. He, too, turned his attention to the anchorwoman on screen. The news of the latest earthquake to rock Japan was covered in excruciating detail, followed by the global warming crisis, celebrity gossip, and then little side stories, which Seto began to tune out. Soon, he was as sound asleep as the toddler on his lap.

"Nii-sama!" Mokuba hissed loudly and shook him awake. "Look!"

"Huh?" Bewildered, he turned his stressed out eyes to the TV screen. On it was a passport photograph of a very familiar redhead. The newscaster reported that a body had been found washed up shore carrying this identification, matching the victim.

"It is believed that the near-shore currents carried this man to the beach from a nearby cliff that is popular for bungee-jumping. No bungee was found, but police found a motorcycle parked atop the cliff registered to the same name found on the passport. They are speculating whether it was suicide or not, as no note has been found. If you have any information regarding this foreigner, please contact Domino City Police at the hotline shown on your screen."

Mokuba turned to see his brother's reaction. Seto's face was as white as paper. It then turned green a brief moment later. Without any explanation, Seto ran out of the room. "I guess I better call the number," Mokuba said to himself.

"Why?" his wife asked. "Did you know him, dear?"

* * *

Seto Kaiba came to his senses, trying to analyze his new surroundings. The desert and Yugi's grandfather had disappeared, but Seto had no memory of the transition. He had even forgotten where he had been. He was lying in the middle of a meadow. He sat up straight, completely confused. There were no flowers, and the beautiful trees encircling the near perfect circular patch of wild, golden grass were not of this world. The leaves were an astonishing deep pink color, and the tree trunks themselves were a rich blue-green. Seto blinked. _Where is this place?_

_That's right, I'm dead…_

For a moment, Seto thought he had been reliving his life on Earth. He stood up, trying to ascertain who could have created a place like this. The hue of the sky was still blue but slightly different. There was a strand of silver outlining each fluffy, white cloud. Wherever he was, he knew that this was not an illusion of Earth.

A tall person clad in white approached from a distance. It seemed that this person was walking at a normal pace, but the large gap between Seto and the stranger enclosed rapidly. The youthful looking brunette stared at the stranger. For the first time in his life, or any lifetime, Seto could not tell whether this person was male or female.

The androgynous humanoid stepped within a meter from Seto. The voice did not reveal the gender either. "Seto Kaiba, I am the one who orchestrated each of the five meetings."

"But there have only been four," Seto replied immediately. "Are you the fifth?"

"No, but you will meet your fifth later. I have to talk to you first."

"Okay," Seto agreed. He felt that it was in his best interest not to argue.

"You have lived several mortal, corporeal lives on Earth. More than even you are aware. If we see a struggle to meet the potential, we promote your existence to a higher level. Otherwise, you are just reincarnated again, to live your life as before in the same spot of your previous space-time continuum. Roughly put, the same planet. There are many planets within each space-time dimension, many alternate dimensions, and many higher dimensions. There have been two lifetimes where you have made a significant impact upon your planet, your world as you knew it. This has earned you your promotion."

"You are now faced with a choice. You can live another, corporeal, mortal human life again on Earth, or you can move on to live in a higher existence."

Seto stopped for a moment, reflecting upon the previous meetings. "You mean to tell me that Gozoboro has this choice, too?"

"No, he has not yet struggled to meet his potential. He will first serve his penance. Then, he will return to live another human life and try again. You, on the other hand, have a choice. You can become something more than human. But, because you are unaccustomed to non-corporeal life, you will be given a corporeal body for your next life."

"My next adventure?"

"That is a very good perspective to have."

"Shouldn't I pay off my debts first?" Seto asked, almost business-like.

The androgynous stranger smiled. The long, black-brown hair was still in the wind that rippled Seto's sleeveless trench coat. "Your 'next adventure' _is_ your penance. You will have tasks to complete. I think you understand now the culmination of your meetings. Do you realize your potential?"

"Yes," Seto affirmed confidently.

"Do you know who the fifth person is?"

"No, but I know who I want it to be."

A smile greeted him in response.

"You can read my mind?"

"No, you do not have a 'mind' in the sense that you mean. You are spirit now. You exist in a non-corporeal form. This is not three-dimensional space here. This is the threshold. There are many more dimensions than you can possibly conceive. It has been speculated by a few Earthlings that Time is the fourth dimension. You will learn the truth after you've been promoted."

Seto felt his head begin to swell, as if he were still a mortal human being trying to understand the workings of the Universe. "Thanks, I think…" he muttered. The reality began to seep in. The possibilities suddenly seemed endless! He wondered what kind of life he was now going to lead. _Obviously_, he thought, _it depends a lot on my choices. It won't matter where or when I am, it's what I do with my time that matters._

"And… you don't have to do it alone," the stranger continued, referring to Seto's next life. "But that depends on a choice you will now face. In your life on Earth, you were faced with a choice. One answer, no, led to the lonely life you had. The other answer, yes, would have led you on a completely different path. You won't ever know what that path could have been, but your life would have been dramatically different. You now have that same choice to make over again. When you meet your fifth person, you will answer either yes or no."

* * *

A/N: Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed! I really appreciate it! Please, don't put any spoilers for this fic in your reviews! I'll know about whom you're talking. For those of you who don't know who Amelda is: he is called Alister in the English dub version. 


	6. The Fifth Person

February 3 - February 21, 2007

Alas, the second to the last chapter... Again, I should reiterate that I refer to the Japanese original anime, not the English dubbed version. So, I apologize for any spoilers.

No flames, period. If any of this shocks you, then you should re-read the fic over again. I was leading up to this all along.

**The Five People You Meet in Heaven**

by _Pearl of the Dark Age_

The Fifth Person

The same bright light that had accompanied Seto through many of his transitions in his different meetings returned. The moment passed, and he found himself in a football field. There were a group of children kicking around a familiar black and white patterned ball. The children looked to be European, and Seto had trouble placing the language spoken by them. They ran around, laughing, kicking, with all the joys of childhood wrapped in a single moment. There was a small child with unruly clay red hair, who had gotten pushed over by a larger boy.

Without hesitating, Seto ran forward to help the small boy. Piercing blue-grey eyes sparkled at him as he lifted the small child up from the ground. He had grass stains all along his stomach, and he laughed merrily. "Hvala!" he said to the concerned brunette.

"You're welcome," Seto replied, sure that it was a thank you.

"Seto…" a voice behind him spoke in rapture. "It's really you."

The CEO turned around to face a twelve-year-old Amelda. His height was about up to Seto's sternum. His hair was short, with uneven lengths, but there was no mistaking that hue of red and those eyes. Amelda led him away from the game to a shady spot under a tree. "I've been waiting for you," he informed.

"Then why do you sound so surprised?" Seto asked. He smiled broadly, immensely glad that his wish came true. _I'm not making the same mistake again!_ he told himself.

"I don't know," Amelda answered, stuffing the toe of his foot into the grass, his hands clasped behind his back. "I guess I just believed that I could never…"

"That's about to change," Seto stated firmly. When he locked eyes with the redhead, Amelda had turned into his young adult self. Seto did not see the transformation take place, but it obviously had in the short space of time they were talking. He now matched Seto's height to the nearest centimeter. The hair was chopped at the chin and fanned out to frame his face. The same, stormy grey eyes stared intently into the deep blue.

"Don't you want to know why I'm your fifth person?" Amelda inquired softly, his voice now as deep as Seto remembered it.

"Because I forced you to commit suicide?"

"Do you blame yourself for that?" Amelda asked, slightly surprised. "You should know that wasn't your fault. I had my own issues to deal with, and not all of them were because you refused me."

"If I hadn't…" Seto began, and his voice trailed off. As the Pharaoh had said before, 'You can't escape Truth after death.' Seto realized that he was not to blame for Amelda's premature death, even if he had been the one to… He shook his head. He did not want to think about it, even if the burden of guilt could be lifted. He preferred to bear it.

He glanced up, startled, as a hand rested on the side of his shoulder. Amelda looked deep into his eyes steadily and whispered, "Let it go, Seto. It wasn't your fault. It's true I wouldn't have committed suicide if you had said, 'Yes,' but it was my choice to make. I had many demons I had to personally battle, and I just gave up at that point. I failed to meet my potential. I failed to even acknowledge it."

Seto gulped. "I'm sorry," he stammered. "I never wanted to lose you, really. I never really meant to say, 'No.'"

"We both know you meant it… at the time," Amelda returned firmly. "You weren't ready for it, and you were being honest. You were too concerned with how it would look to the eyes of the public."

"I regret that," Seto added. "I've always regretted it. That is why I never…"

"I know," the redhead said softly. He smiled encouragingly, lifting Seto's spirits a little. "I'm not omniscient, but I've been keeping an eye on you all these years."

Seto felt a little unnerved to learn that someone had been keeping his back all this time. He arched an eyebrow. "So, why are you here if it's not my fault that you died?"

"Because I had a significant impact on your life," Amelda informed. "I thought you knew that."

The CEO thought back to when he had first met the pacifist. It had been right after Battle City. Destroying the Duel Tower after losing to Yugi helped to redirect him down the right path to his true self. He had been embittered with anger, hatred, and revenge. Not really at Yugi, who represented his failure, and not really at Gozoboro, who represented his hatred, but at himself. He could not let go the hatred he harbored for his adoptive father, for all the abuse the man had put him and Mokuba through. He saw his weakness. It was against everything Seto Kaiba believed in to remain weak. He had to destroy the Duel Tower; he had to destroy his weakness.

He learned a new strength, although he never gave Yugi the credit he deserved. That strength derived mostly from his love for Mokuba, but also his love – however unexpressed to others – for humanity. It seriously disturbed him when he had met Amelda, who wanted to destroy humanity because his brother had died. Who would Seto have become had he lost Mokuba? He recognized himself in the psychotic pacifist, and it stirred compassion in him even up to the surface of his usual indifferent veneer.

He remembered offering Amelda help not once, but three times. He remembered trying to reason with him. He remembered hunting down Dartz to save Amelda. He remembered looking up at the stone tablet that encased the redhead's soul and asking for him to 'open his eyes, and bear their duel in mind.' He remembered how it felt when he carried the unconscious body in his arms. He could have left Amelda on the plane for Isono to drag out, but he felt that he should be responsible…

"Do you even need me here?" Amelda inquired, interrupting his reminiscence. "Looks like you're doing fine on your own."

"You were still warm," Seto replied in a quiet voice.

"What?" Amelda asked, confounded. "I'm not psychic, even here! What are you talking about?"

Seto shook his head. "Never mind…" He smiled broadly. "It's good to see you again. I was told I would get a second chance."

"Really?" Amelda stammered. "Me, too!"

"Did you also know that you could be with me when I pay off my debts?"

"What debts?" Amelda asked, puzzled. "There is no currency in Heaven. We don't need it."

"What is Heaven like?" Seto suddenly inquired.

"Don't know; I've never been," Amelda replied, shrugging. "I spent my time serving my penance for all the people I killed while waiting for you."

"I didn't know you killed anyone," Seto said, taken aback. "I thought all the souls returned to their bodies when Dartz was defeated."

"The souls could only return to the body if it was kept in safe condition," Amelda informed. "Not all the bodies I dealt with were left in a safe place." He looked incredibly saddened by this. "I didn't know what I was doing was wrong, but it was still wrong. That is why I've still got a long ways to go before I can cleanse myself of all my wrongdoings. There is more than you know about…"

"But you're not an evil person!" Seto defended for him. "You were brainwashed!"

"I take full responsibility for all my actions," Amelda replied. "Including ones when I wasn't brainwashed."

"You killed even after you were freed? Even after you knew that it was wrong?"

"No, before…" Amelda broke eye contact and stared off at the children playing. "There was stuff that happened during the war."

"It's all right if you don't want to talk about it," Seto said softly.

"Thanks for thinking that I'm not evil," Amelda said, grinning slyly, which unnerved the brunette slightly. "Thanks for understanding."

"All I know is that I would have ended up just like you if Mokuba had died," Seto stated. "So much has been said about potential. We may not have reached ours, but it shows that if you have potential, you can't possibly be evil. If you are capable of love, you deserve another chance. If you know that you can always improve yourself, you should. I know that it was because you lost all the love you had in your life that you went through that period of darkness. You don't have to do it alone, now."

"You mean we will serve our penance together?" Amelda asked breathlessly. Silver eyes widened in anticipation. An expression of impending joy blossomed onto his fair face.

"I prefer to call it 'paying off my debts'," Seto returned. "But yes… We can do it together. That guy… that _person_ said I could." Seto still felt vexed by his confusion over what to call the androgynous being.

It appeared that Amelda knew of whom Seto was speaking. He nodded, his red locks swishing slightly. Amelda gazed fervently into Seto's face. "Can I ask you something?" he asked, his voice breathless. "I know I've already asked you, but I'd like to ask you one last time."

"What?" the brunette inquired mildly as his heart skipped a beat.

"Do you love me?"

Seto blinked. Even though he had been expecting the question, he still felt the same as he had before: as if he were weightless. This time, he allowed his features to reflect his feelings. This time he did not hide it. "Yes," he answered firmly. He reached for the redhead's hand and leaned in…

* * *

The surrounding light increased into intense luminosity. The air felt chill, but not bitter cold. By now Seto was accustomed to the transitions. He closed his eyes to keep himself from being blinded out of habit, even though the light had not blinded him yet. He felt Amelda squeeze their still clasped hands. Surely enough, when he opened his eyes again, he was in a different location with normal, earthly light… sort of. He let out an audible gasp. A quick glance to Amelda told him that he was just as surprised as he was. The redhead's mouth hung open in awe. 

Swirling, snow white clouds bathed their feet and the hidden 'ground' as far as the eye could see. There was nothing else except a massive golden gate. Encrusted with mother-of-pearl, guarded by a man robed in white, it looked like it had been plucked from a picture. It was exactly as Amelda had imagined it would look.

"This is a surprise," Seto stated aloud.

"Really?" Amelda replied, shocked. "It's _exactly_ what I expected. What did you expect?"

"I don't know," he replied vaguely. "I never was very religious. If I was anything, I was Buddhist."

Amelda blinked, and then he shivered violently. "It's cold!"

"It is a little chilly," Seto agreed.

"Perhaps we can ask him," the redhead said. He pointed unnecessarily at the gatekeeper. They both approached him, trying their best not to appear nervous. "Hello," Amelda greeted, flashing a friendly smile. "Can we enter?"

The gatekeeper looked from one face to the other. "Only one of you may enter," he answered.

"What?" Seto bellowed, outraged. "What do you mean 'one of you'?"

"Only one of you may enter," he repeated. "We don't allow your kind in here."

"_Our kind_?" Amelda snarled; bitterness filled his voice. "That's not fair!"

"Fair?" the gatekeeper returned. There was not a trace of amusement or malice in his voice. Instead, he sounded rather bored. "Fair is for tourists."

"Tourists? What the -?" Amelda snapped. Seto stopped him with a hand upon his shoulder.

"You go," he said quietly. "You have your family waiting for you. It's better if you go."

Amelda's mouth dropped open even further. He stared at Seto with round eyes. A moment passed, and he became instantly resolute. "No way in Hell I'm leaving you behind!" He turned to the gatekeeper. "Forget it, you lousy, heartless-"

"Amelda…" Seto murmured, stemming the feisty redhead's impending rant. He addressed the gatekeeper, "We don't want to enter alone. It's either we go in together, or we don't go at all. I'm not leaving Amelda behind, either. I love him."

The gatekeeper showed the first sign of interest: an arched eyebrow. "Really?" he inquired, intrigued. "We don't get that too often."

"Can we go somewhere else for now?" Seto asked impatiently.

"Sure!" the gatekeeper replied as if he were now their life-long friend. He smiled benignly. "Just walk down that road there."

"What road?" they both asked simultaneously. The gatekeeper pointed to their right, and an earthen road materialized. The clouds parted to reveal what looked like an ordinary, sunlit country lane. They glanced at each other and mutually agreed to take the dirt path. To where it led neither knew.

After strolling what felt like several hours, they came to a busted up wooden gate. In fact it so well blended into the tree and bush lined country lane, they almost walked right past it! Beside the ivy-laden gate, there sat a man upon an overturned fish barrel. He was whittling away at a tree branch, whistling softly along with the singing birds in the nearby branches. He did not look up as they approached.

"Do we enter here?" Seto inquired.

"You can if you want," the gatekeeper replied without looking up from his work.

"Is there water?" Amelda asked. "I'm kind of thirsty."

"It _is_ kind of warm here," Seto noted. "But it's quite pleasant."

"Help yourselves inside," the gatekeeper informed. He stood up, smiled broadly at them, and opened the gate to reveal a large garden. There were fruit and nut trees everywhere, berry bushes of all kinds, and vegetables sprouting from the corners of the ground. "There is a well over there." The gatekeeper pointed to an antiquated water pump.

Seto, who had never seen one before, thought it was a joke. "What is this supposed to be?" he demanded, puffing up slightly.

"Relax," Amelda said, trying his best not to laugh. "I'll handle it." He showed Seto how to pump the water up into a large, clean cup that the chuckling gatekeeper handed Amelda. The CEO eyed the cup and the pump warily as he observed the redhead take a deep drink. He saw no signs of contamination as Amelda handed him the cup. Seto's indignant attitude subsided, and he drank the most delicious water he had ever tasted.

"I'm impressed," he said under his breath so that only Amelda could hear. The redhead smiled gaily at him. The gatekeeper returned to his fish barrel. They both ambled off and sat down upon a creaky bench in a shady corner of the garden. They whiled away the time, carefree, watching the dragonflies and hummingbirds darting about the foliage. Seto did not need as much rest as his companion, and he strode back over to where the gatekeeper stayed, whittling away his branch into a handsome walking staff.

"Yes?" he asked merrily.

"How long may we stay here?" Seto inquired politely. "Is there somewhere we can lodge?"

The gatekeeper grinned. "You will be allowed to stay as long as you like, but don't you have some stuff to take care of first?"

"Yeah," Amelda agreed, joining them. "The angel said that we would have tasks to complete before we can enter Heaven."

"Angel?" Seto exclaimed, shocked. "Is that what that was?"

"What did you think it was?"

"I thought it was an alien," the brunette said simply. Amelda laughed. "So, what is this place," Seto asked, "and why are we waiting?"

The gatekeeper chuckled. "This is the Gate to Heaven. You just need to wait a little longer for the angel to come. You will receive all the information you need."

"This is Heaven?" Amelda gaped at him incredulously. "I thought that place back there…"

"This garden is sort of like the inner foyer, if you will. Those pearly gates… No! That's not the Gate to Heaven!" the gatekeeper informed merrily. "That's just a set up! That gate leads back to a reincarnation on Earth. It's our way of weeding out those who would leave their loved ones behind. Why else do you think so many people have seen it?"

* * *

A/N: Only one more chapter... Thanks for all your support so far! Please do not put spoilers in your reviews, thank you. 


	7. The Angels

March 17, 2007

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Sorry I took so long, guys. I had injured my neck recently, so…

Without further ado…

**The Five People You Meet In Heaven**

by _Pearl of the Dark Age_

The Angels

"I can't believe you thought the angel was an alien!" Amelda said suddenly, disturbing the tranquil silence as they waited.

"A being not from Earth qualifies as an alien by definition," Seto defended. "I am not that far off, am I?"

The gatekeeper could be heard whistling as the sun slowly sank into the horizon. The garden seemed to take on a whole new appearance with the sunset. Different flowers bloomed as others closed, entrancing them with exotic new fragrances. The colors of the picturesque landscape seemed to change hues from deep red to ambient blue. The creatures had all disappeared except for a lazy lone dragonfly that went about making ripples in the pond.

"I wonder what Heaven is like," Seto muttered after a pregnant pause.

Amelda became pensive. "Well, it might be a while before we see it, remember? We've got to do some stuff before we can get in."

"That's putting it vaguely. I wonder what this 'next adventure' really entails." He leaned back and rested his arms around the redhead's shoulders. If Amelda did not know him better, he would have assumed Seto was putting a move on him.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," a familiar voice behind them spoke. "I had a few other incoming souls to guide."

"Are you an alien or an angel?" Seto inquired without hesitation.

Amelda covered his glowing face with his hand. The gatekeeper chuckled heartily, but the androgynous being only smiled. "You could say that I am both," it answered slowly.

"See!" Seto prompted, poking Amelda in the side. "I wasn't wrong!"

The pacifist gave a soft hiss but otherwise ignored him. He turned to the angelic alien and mustered his most polite tone of voice, "We would kindly accept any information you have regarding the penance we face."

"You will be reincarnated as new beings," the angel replied. "Listen carefully. First, you will meet your guardian angels; they will share their departing words, for their jobs are finished. They will now return to Heaven to rest in peace."

"We had guardian angels?" Amelda queried in disbelief.

The brunette gave him a sideways look and commented to their mutual guide, "Yeah, I think Amelda's guardian angel failed."

The angel made no comment. The facial expression turned even more indiscernible than the CEO's could be. The remark went unanswered, and their guide continued on, "There are four types of angels. There are messenger angels, guardian angels, warrior angels, and true angels. So, what you said was true earlier, Seto Kaiba; I am an alien. I am a corporeal being, after all. I am a messenger angel. We don't have wings, nor do we emit light. The different angels not only have different powers and functions, but they are also made differently. Guardian angels are not corporeal, but they were at one time. Warrior angels are quite corporeal, for they are the only one of the four who are also mortal. Only a true angel is incorporeal for the Eternity. It is unlikely you will meet one of them before you enter Heaven."

"Really?" Amelda commented, not having much else to say. He mulled it over in his brain slowly.

Seto's brain attempted to even _accept_ the concepts. His tendency to refuse belief in the supernatural returned. He preferred to have control of his life _and_ the afterlife. "What about our assignment?" he asked, steering the conversation back to familiar territory.

The androgynous humanoid grinned knowingly. "There are some things about you that won't ever change, is there? You were this way in all your previous lives, and I guess it's foolish to expect such a 'drastic' change even after a few millennia."

"You're pretty sarcastic for an angel," Seto noted. It was his own way of showing respect, and they all knew it. He received another knowing grin in reply.

"Now to meet your guardian angels," the messenger angel announced. An elegant hand extended forth from the robes, beckoning the two souls to turn around. They faced two translucent beings seemingly composed of light. Their facial features and outlines were all that was visible.

Amelda was surprised, but Seto was in shock. "I know you!" he exclaimed, addressing his guardian angel. "We've met before!"

Amelda blinked. His guardian angel was unrecognizable to him. She approached him with a kind, warm smile. Her companion, a young lady with long white hair and blue eyes, embraced Seto with rapture.

Amelda felt his eyes grow green for a moment, and then he turned to face the spirit responsible for his life. She was middle aged looking with medium brown hair. Her features were plain, and she did not remind him of anyone. "Do I know you?"

"We never knew each other in the mortal world," she replied. "I had died a long time before you were even born. I chose this assignment because you reminded me of my son, who had died from cholera before me."

"Oh," the redhead murmured somberly. "I'm sorry to hear that." He had no idea what he was supposed to say.

She reached up and touched his face, gently caressing it. "No," she said sadly, "it is I who is sorry. I wished I could have done more for you." She sighed heavily. "There are times my powers are limited, and those are times when your soul is strong. It doesn't make sense how you could have been so resolute in your decision to end your life that I couldn't save you."

Something in Amelda's skull clicked, and he understood. "Then it wasn't your failure," he whispered kindly. "Don't blame yourself, please." Here was a soul he had never met before, but he felt a strong bond of attachment already. A question suddenly popped into his mind, "Say… How does one become a guardian angel?" He had a sudden desire to become one himself.

She smiled and turned to the other translucent angel with a bluish hue. Amelda followed her gaze, feeling the prickles of jealousy return. "Kisara and I both sacrificed our life for a stranger when we were mortal beings. That is why we were granted the honor of being guardian angels. You won't be able to chose which kind of angel you become."

Amelda stopped trying to eavesdrop on Seto's conversation with Kisara. His head snapped back to her and then faced the messenger angel who stood there, watching everything in silence. "W-we…" Amelda gulped, "we are to become _angels_?"

Upon hearing him, Seto turned to face the messenger angel for answers, too. "It won't be easy," the angel said. "I'm giving you both a difficult task to do. Didn't I mention that you're going to be reincarnated, which means that you will be mortal again?"

"Which means that we will be…" Amelda trailed off, his voice in utter disbelief.

"Warrior angels?" Seto finished.

* * *

After their guardian angels had expressed their love and well wishes, they said goodbye; Amelda and Seto were taken to a new location to be reincarnated. The messenger angel warned them before departing that the transformation back into corporeal, mortal beings was going to be extremely painful. So, they were alone again. The place was the least bit imaginative so far, in the CEO's opinion. _It's nothing but a bare, white room!_ he thought. 

Amelda, on the other hand, appeared to be really impressed. His silver eyes were rounded, his mouth slightly agape, and he revolved slowly, to take in all the bareness and lack of any decorations whatsoever. "Wow!"

Seto nearly went cross-eyed in disgust. "What's so special about this place?" he asked. "It looks like a room that hasn't even been painted!"

"Exactly!" Amelda exclaimed. "It is the place of possibilities. You can create anything you want here!"

"We are the ones being 'created,'" Seto pointed out. "And according to that person, it's not going to be fun."

Amelda opened his mouth to respond, but he doubled over in agony. Only a low moan issued forth. Seto barely had time to register that his newfound love was crumpled upon the floor when he, too, collapsed from overwhelming pain. His spirit self, which had only appeared to be opaque, showed its true presence: He was invisible. Flesh began to form where he had previously thought it had been.

His ontogenesis began with the skeletal framework. The bones were not human, but so human-like in appearance it shocked him. Blood vessels, connective tissues, nerves, muscles, and fat all followed as he stared at his newly forming arm. He groaned in pain, which felt like a trillion, icy needles. He had never been a fan of acupuncture.

His newly formed eyes watered as he gazed without focus on Amelda, who violently convulsed upon the floor. The cries of pain diminished as their ontogenesis completed itself. Seto could smell – truly smell! The sweet, sickly smell of sweat was the first thing he registered with his new brain. His face had been pressed into the solid, white floor, gasping for breath. It was painful, but nowhere near as agonizing as it had been momentarily ago. He licked his dry lips with his moist tongue, relishing in all the sensations that now assaulted his newly born body. Blood pumped through his veins, his heart thudded in his chest, cold air filled his lungs, and wings brushed up against his cheek. _Wings?_ Cognition returned slowly. _None of the other angels had wings…_

He groaned one last time. As he gingerly brought himself to his knees, he felt a heavy sadness press upon his soul. It had been so close to Heaven! It was painful to be torn apart from it! Now he was a being of flesh, living in a corporeal time-space continuum. It was horrible! His whole body screamed to be reunited with the higher realms of existence!

He received another shock as he stared at his legs. They were covered in scales, not bare, human skin - but only up to the knees. His thigh looked normal, if only slightly more muscular. The feet were birdlike, with four long grasping toes ending in sharp, curved golden talons. Three toes faced forward, and one faced back. There were a few feathers on the floor, the metallic color matching his feet. _I'm a bird?_

Confused, he looked to Amelda for confirmation. The redhead appeared human to him, with the exception of the large expanse of white-feathered wings draped across his back. Human-like hands pushed the naked, angelic body upright, and Amelda's familiar silver-eyed face gaped at Seto in return.

"Holy crap!" he shouted.

"Do I look normal?" Seto asked. "Does it look like me?"

"Yeah," Amelda confirmed. "It's you, alright. It's just that you've got golden wings and large raptor feet!" He stood up to see if he had them, too, for he had already noted the presence of his own wings. Like Seto's feet matched his wings, Amelda's feet matched his snow-white wings. They looked like the feet of a gigantic, albino bird-of-prey. "This will take some getting used to…" he commented dryly.

The redhead took a step forward and promptly fell flat on his face! "Ouch!" Seto cried, as he tried to catch him mid-fall, only to be squished. They were a tangle of appendages, and Amelda seized the moment to kiss a pinned Seto.

The brunette stopped struggling to gaze at him with deep, serene blue eyes. "I can see being your partner is going to have its perks."

"There will be much to do for you," the familiar voice returned. They both tried to scramble to their awkward feet, only to fall over onto their backsides. "It will take time to become accustomed to your angelic bodies. You still retain the memories of your last, human life, which also means that your cerebellum is going to have to adjust to the changes."

"I don't think we need to relearn how to tie shoes, do we?" Amelda muttered sarcastically.

"Quite right," the messenger angel answered matter-of-factly. "You won't even need to bother with shoes."

"Okay," Seto said, joining the conversation as he managed to finally right himself. "I'm ready to return to Earth."

"You're not returning to Earth," came the reply. "Earth does not need warrior angels at this moment. We've got other angels doing duty there. There is another planet engulfed in dark chaos that needs you right now. We're going to send you there. Your mission is to bring peace to that planet and the solar system in which it resides."

"We're going into Outer Space?" Amelda inquired, incredulous. He continued to sit upon the floor, giving up on trying to erect himself. His pearly talons had gouged out long ruts in the floor, which made him feel guilty.

"Not 'Outer Space,' per se," the angel informed him. "Because Outer Space implies that you are in the same space-time continuum as you were before. No, this is an alternate universe. The planets will be foreign to you, but you will find the inhabitants to be all too familiar."

"Are there dragons?" Seto asked eagerly.

"Uh, you'll see," the androgynous being answered. "I'm afraid that you are just going to have to go there to find out. I wish you the best of luck with your mission and Godspeed for your return." He gave them a short bow and vanished into nothingness.

The room around them dissolved away, to reveal a world they have never seen before. Even as strange as the multi-colored clouds swirling overhead seemed, the lightning of deafening crashes reaching the terrain below, the cityscape and its inhabitants solidified the surreal experience into reality.

_To be continued in the sequel…_

**Author's Note:** Thanks for all the R&R, everyone! I'm glad if you enjoyed this fic. I hope it turned out all right. I wanted to finish it while my neck wasn't giving me too much pain. (Although it may have distracted me at times, which I hope didn't tarnish the story.)

_Story Alerts_ are no longer necessary for this fic, as it is complete. The sequel will be its own fic, and I won't be writing it until after I finish the first part to **Quinquepertitus**. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, please see my forum, **Ink**. There is a link on my profile. It is in this forum that I answer questions, discuss my fics, and give background information not found in author's notes.

Thank you, everyone! Keep striving towards your potential!


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